Collapsible stool



June 10, 1958 w. J. JANNING 2,838,094

COLLAPSIBLE STOOL Filed March 22, 1957 f 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR.w/u/AM (J. J zww s Jim 10, 1958 w. J. JANNING 2;838,094

COLLAPSIBLE STOOL Filed March 22, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 COLLAPSIBLESTOOL William J. Janning, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to the United States ofAmerica as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force ApplicationMarch 22, 1957, Serial No. 647,927

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-149) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec.266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the United States Government for governmental purposes withoutpayment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to a utility stool and moreparticularly to a collapsible utility stool.

In the design of general utility stools to be utilized by draftsmen andother individuals, it becomes important to obtain a stool that requiresa minimum of space for compact storage purposes and yet is rugged inconstruction and lightweight. I

An object of the invention, therefore, resides in a general utilitystool collapsibleto facilitate handling and storage thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible stool thatis ruggedly built and yet relatively light in weight.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a collapsiblestool utilizing a minimum of parts and foldable into a compact formusing a minimum of storage space.

A still further object of the invention utilizes a collapsible utilitystool adjustable in height and eliminating any need for expensive diesand fixtures in its manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts in theseveral figures.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a general utility stool used in the invention,illustrating the collapsed condition of said stool.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the stool used in the invention, illustratingthe same collapsed condition as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view, partially broken away, of the stool of Figs. 1 and2, illustrating said stool in "its erected or non-collapsed conditionwith the four legs in their supporting position.

Fig. 4 is an elevation view, partially shown in section, of the stool ofFigs. l-3, illustrating the seatin an adjusted position with two legsshown. partially broken away.

Fig. 5 is a view taken about on line 55 of Fig. 4, illustrating detailsof the attachment between the two rigid stool legs and the foot rest.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating detailsof'the attachment betweenthe twopivotal stool legs and the foot rest when the stool is in itserected, noncollapsed condition. a .1

With particular reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings, the general utilitystool of the invention is indicated generally at 1 and comprises fourhollow supporting-legs 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, a seat 2 supportedon said legs, and a foot rest indicated generally at 7. Said seat 2 issupported on said legs by means of a lower plate 8 to which said legsare attached and an upper plate 11 to which said seat 2 is adjustablyattached. Said upper plate 11 is pivotally connected by means of hinge15 to te swa 0" 2,838,094 Patented June 10, 1958 lower plate 8 to enablepivotal movement of seat 2 between a horizontal and a vertical position.Said upper plate 11 incorporates on its upper surface a raised orelevated portion 11a having a central internally threaded openingtherein for a purpose to be explained hereinafter in detail. Said seat 2includes a depending portion 2a having a central opening therein inwhich opening the upper end of the inner telscoping screw element 131;of a double-screw assembly indicated generally at 13 is rigidly attachedas by welding or any other desirable manner. The outer screw element 13aof said assembly 13, in which said inner screw element 13b is threadedlyengaged, engages with said internally threaded central opening in theelevated portion 11a of said upper plate 11. Said outer screw element13a incorporates a flat portion on its upper end on which flat portion130 depending portion 2a of seat 2 rests when inner screw element 13b isin its lowermost position. Said outer screw element 13a, also,incorporates a circumferential stop or raised portion 13d on its lowerend, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. Furthermore,outer screw element 13a incorporates an internally threaded portion 13eon its upper end portion in threaded engagement with inner screw element13b and on its lower end portion has a smooth inside diameter spacedfrom inner screw element 13b to form the surrounding space indicated at13 In this manner, an abutment indicated at 13g is formed at the upperend of space 13) on the inside diameter of outer screw element 13a, thepurpose of which will be described hereinafter in detail. Inner screwelementlSb, also, includes a stop member in the nature of a washerindicated at 13h afiixed to its lower end for a purpose to be describedhereinafter. Said lower plate 8 incorporates a central slot 8athereint-hrough central slot 8a outer screw element 13a extends during pivotalmovement of seat 2 between its horizontal and vertical positions. Saidsupporting legs 3, 4, 5 and 6' are substantially L-shaped and include arelatively short, horizontal segment and a relatively long, verticalsegment. The horizontal segments of supporting legs 3 and 4 are weldedto the lower plate 8 parallel to each other and offset on opposite sidesof a first centerline through said plate 8 whereas the horizontalsegments of supporting legs 5 and 6 are pivotally attached to said plate8 and offset on opposite sides of a second centerline at right angles tosaid first centerline by means of rivets 9 (shown in Fig. 3), when intheir noncollapsed condi. tion. The foot rest 7 is rotatably supportedon supporting legs 3 and 4 by means of the horizontal rod or crossbar 14as seen clearly in Fig. 2 in a manner to be hereinafter described indetail with reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings. Referring particularlyto Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawing it is seen that foot rest 7 is somewhatelliptical in form since the connection between said rod 14 and eitherleg 3 or 4 'is identical. Said rotatable support includes, aninterconnecting member orlbracket 4a aflixed as by welding to the innerside of said leg-4 in telescopic'en gagement with rod or cross-bar 14.Said bracket 4a is held in said telescopic engagement by means ofannular groove 16 formed adjacent the inner end of said bracket 4a inengagement with an interiorly disposed annular flange 17 formed as bycrimping on the inside circumference walls of said rod 14. With thisarrangement, rod or cross-bar 14 is permanently but rotatably connectedto supporting legs 3 and 4 to enable rotation of the foot rest 7 affixedthereto from its horizontal position to a collapsed, vertical position.also a pair of substantially semicircular notches or cutout portions 18as seen clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Said notches or cut-outportions 18 are formed in the metal tubing segments 7a and 7b of saidfoot rest 7 without reducing the diameter of said tubing inwardly ofsaid notches 13 and thus a bump 18a is formed in said tubing on theinner surface thereof immediately behind each of said notches '13. Thepivotally mounted supporting legs 5 and 6 are releasably engaged in saidnotches 18 when in their supporting or noncollapsed position in a mannerto be described hereinafter with reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6 of the drawings, since the retainingmeans indicated at 20 is identical for each pivotally mounted supportinglegs 5 and 6, reference is had only to supporting leg 6. Said retainingmeans 20 consists of a bracket having a straight portion 200 bolted orriveted at two places to said supporting leg 6 and a curved portion 20bwhich curved portion 20b engages the lower portion of the metal tubingof the foot rest 7 behind the notch 18 in contact with bump 18a so thatsaid foot rest 7 is cradled in said curved portion 20b of retainingmeans 20. A second retaining meansZt) identical to that described aboveis placed on supporting leg 5 with the open end 'of its curved portion26b facing downwardly instead of upwardly as in the case of supportingleg 6. With this arrangement, retaining means 20 are oppositely disposedon supporting legs 5 and 6, the foot rest 7 is restrained from rotatingabout its support thereto in one direction and is free to rotate in theopposite direction.

As previously indicated, the seat 2 is adjustable to various heights bymeans of the double-screw assembly 13 shown in detail in Fig. 4 of thedrawings. By incorporat ing the previously described telescoping innerscrew ele ment 13b in outer screw element 13a, a much greater adjustmentis effected with substantially less space being utilized when stool 1 isin its stored or collapsed condition. Moreover, the raised portion 11aon upper plate 11 provides a much more stable and rugged support fordouble screw assembly 13. When it is desired to elevate seat 2, thelatter is rotated until the stop member 13h (which has entered space13]) engages with abutment 13g, at which point further rotation of seat2 and inner screw element 13!) effects positive rotation of outer screwelement 13a. Said outer screw element 13a continues to rotate andthereby further elevate seat 2 until the desired elevation is reached oruntil its stop 13d engages with the bottom surface of upper plate 11.

To summarize the operation of the general utility stool 1 of the presentinvention, if it is desired to store said stool, it is only necessary topivot the seat 2 about hinge to its elevated or vertical position,disengage foot rest 7 from retaining means on supporting legs 5 and 6,pivot said legs 5 and 6' out of notches 18 to their collapsed positionadjacent and parallel to respective rigidly supported legs 3 and 4-, andat the same time, pivot foot rest 7 to its vertical position. if it isdesired to erect said stool 1 to its noncollapsed position, it is onlyneces sary to reverse the procedure outlined above.

Thus, a unique and general utility stool has been developed by theinstant invention in which the require ments of a minimum of necessarystorage space, light 7 weight, ruggedness of construction,inexpensiveness in manufacture, and adjustable in height have beensatisfied.

I claim: I 1. A general utility stool comprising an upper plate, a

Said foot rest 7 includes lower plate aflixed to said upper plate andspaced there from, a stand attached to said lower plate, a seat afiixedto said upper plate, collapsible means supporting said seat and saidlower plate comprising a first pair of sup porting legs rigidly aflixedto said lower plate and a second pair of supporting legs afiixed to saidlower plate and pivotal between an open, supporting position and aclosed nonsupporting position, and a foot-rest rotatably mounted betweensaid first pair of supporting legs having means locking said second pairof supporting legs in said open, supporting position, said foot-restrotatable between a locking position and a nonlocking position.

2. A general utility stool as in claim 1, said upper plate beinghingedly mounted on said lower plate to pivot said seat from ahorizontal position to a vertical stored position.

3. A general utility stool as in claim 1, and means in corporated insaid seat adjusting the height thereof above said stand, saidmeanscomprising a double-screw fixedly attached to the bottom of saidseat at one end thereof.

4. In a general utility stool having a plurality of sup porting legsfoldable into arelatively flat, stored condition, means adjustablysupporting a seat on said stool comprising a main support platepivotally mounted on said support legs and having a relatively largethickness in the center thereof, a central hole in said plate havinginternally contoured threads therein, an outer screw element having ahole with internally contoured threads therein, and an inner telescopingscrew in engagement with the internal threads of said outer screwelement at tached to said 'seat at one end thereof.

5. A general utility stool havinga fixed lower plate and an upper platepivotally mounted thereto, a first pair of legs hingedly connected tosaid lower plate for collapse between a supporting and a nonsupportingposition, a second pair of legs rigidly fixed to said lower plate transverse to the supporting, noncollapsed position of said first pair oflegs, and an adjustable seat fixed to said upper plate and pivotalbetween a horizontal and a vertical position and having means adjustingthe height thereof, said means comprising an outer element in adjustableengagement with said upper plate, and an inner element in tele scopicadjustable engagement with said outer element attached to said seat.

6. In a general utility stool having a pair of rigidly supported legs, apair of pivotally supported legs, an adjustable seat and a foot-rest,means rotatably support ing said foot-rest on said pair of rigidlysupported legs, comprising a hollow cross-bar rigidly supporting saidfoot-rest and means rotatably connecting each end of said hollowcross-bar to each of said pair of rigidly supported legs, saidlast-named means comprising an interconnect ing member aflixed to eachof said pair of rigidly supported legs in telescopic engagement withsaid hollow cross-bar adjacent each end thereof, an annular grooveadjacent the inner end of each of said interconnecting members, and aninteriorly disposed annular flange on the inside walls of said hollowcross-bar in rotatable engage ment with said annular groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FranceDec. 2,

